(A/N) Okay this is, like I said in my summary my first story, and I can see not many people have read it but, those of who are reading this... PLEASE REVIEW. How am I supposed to know if it is any good if you don't tell me. All I as is that you don't totally trash me PLEASE? Okay I am done whining and pleading now , but seriously READ AND REVIEW!!! PLEASE PLEEEEEASE!

Chapter3: Savior and Explenations

"Your walk was much longer than usual. You mussst be exausssted, and sssleepy." He crooned still swaying his head brining his eyes very close to hers. As he spoke Kokila's eyelids began to droop. She was so sleepy, how had she failed to notice before? For a moment her senses seemed to return as she fought falling asleep.

"Sssleep, little bird, sssleep. Clossse your eyesss. Ressst, I will take care of you." Phanishwar crooned in his melodious way. Kokila could feel herself loosing consiousness.

Please some body help me, she pleaded silently, anyone, I don't want to die. Then as if at a distance she thought she heard the feral snarl of a tiger. Then the princess saw a machete aimed for the serpent's head, but Phanishwar was fast and moved out of the way in time. He released her to face his attacker. Kokila's legs folded underneath her weight. She could not stand, so she turned her attention to the battle that was taking place before her, the battle that would decide her life. Kokila saw the huge snake trying to cath the eyes of a boy only a little bit older than her own fifteen years. The boy was tall, well muscled, and the most handsome man she had ever seen, and he was so fast! It was hard to believe.

"You ssshould not have interfeared, ssstrong one. Now I will have to kill you." The snake hissed demonically. To Kokila's great suprise the boy gave a short laugh.

"Don't you have to cath me first, Belly-crawler?"

Is he insane? Kokila wondered, he is trying to make Phanishwar angrier.

The serpent gave a low hiss, which he held for a long time, the sound made Kokila shiver. Suddenly Phanishwar lunged at the boy, coiling around him and begining ti squeeze. The boy, some how, managed to keep his arms free of the serpents coils, as well as maintaining his hold on the machete.

"Now you will die." The snake hissed smugly, " you have failed to sssave the girl, in thisss knowledge you will ceassse to be." Then as the great serpent brought his head close to the, now, gasping boy, the machete came up and struck Phanishwar in the neck once, twice, three times, beheading him. Phanishwar's coils went limp as his lif blood first sprayed then trickled out of his body. The boy caught his breath, then came over to Kokila and knelt so he could look into her dark brown eyes, his were a strange yellow colour she had never seen before.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked. He had a fairly deep voice, but it was smooth as honey.

A very soothing voice thought Kokila, "I... I... think so," Kokila stuttered as the reality of what had alomost happened to her began to sink in, "thanks to you."

The toung man gave a warm smile that caused the princess' heart to skip a couple of beats.

"Here, you dropped this," he said and handed her the blowpipe, " you were lucky Phanishwar felt like playing with his food tonight, otherwise I might have come to late. Are you sure you're alright...?"

"Yes," Kokila replied sounding more confident this time, " jus a little shaken. I am Princess Kokila, what may I call you, brave rescuer?" she asked as she gave him a smile of her own.

"Well, young nightengale," he began giving her names true meaning, "My tribe calls me Tarak." Protector, it seemed like a suitable name to Kokila, " but those who are close to me call me..." he hesitated.

"Yes?" the princess urged.

"Well... they call me Shardul."

This suprised Kokila, "Tiger! Why do they call you that?" She asked looking into his strange yellow eyes. As she did her eyes widened as she realized the signifigance of this name, "You...You were the tiger I saw earlier weren't you?"

Tarak nodded but would not look her in the eyes as if he he was afraid she would be frightened or run away.

"But I thought only Shamans could shape change. Are you a shaman?" Kokila asked sounding excited. He looked at her suprise in his eyes.

"No, I am not a shaman, but I am ones apprentice. My master has many forms, I will only ever have one." Replied Tarak

This puzzled Kokila, " why will you only have one form? It doesn't make sense." Tarak gave her another heart stopping smile seemingly emboldend by her casual questions.

"I will only have one form because I am very closely bonded to just one animal... the tiger. That is whay my village calls me Tarak, Protector. Our tribe had a really bad time with tigers that were hunting and killing livestock and people before I was born, but after they all just left the area. Tigers usually won't invade the territory of another unless starvation or something else forces them to it. The other tigers in the area sensed I was an exceptionally strong tiger and submitted the territory to me. I didn't even know I had magic until I was ten, usually it shows before then. I only found out because the animals told our shaman that I had a tiger inside..."

"Wait a minute!" Kokila interupted, "A tiger inside? I'm confused."

"Only because you aren't and animal. If somone can change animals see that persons animal form inside the human one." Tarak explained , "The shaman shape changed to check for himself, he saw it too and emidiately made me his apprentice. Since everyone knows what happens with untrained magic. You..."

"What about me?" Kokila asked when he hesitated. When he did not answer she shrugged adn continued, " I wish I could change." Where did that come from the princess asked herself suprised at what she had just said, " I've never told anyone that before." She said bitting her lower lip in embarrasment.

"You could, you know."

"I could what?' there was a confused look on her face as she said this.

He laughed, it was a deep rich sound, " you're so funny when you are confused." He explained, for some reason this made Kokila blush, rather than become indignant, "You could chage."

Kokila scowled, " That's not funny I tell you my deepest secret and you're making fun of me!" she finished shouting, and tried to stand up but her legs were still to weak, so much for that idea she thought angrily. So she contented herself with turning her back to the tiger so he wouldn't see her tears of anger and frustration.

Her reaction suprised him, " Oh no, don't cry!" He pleaded, " I wasn't going to say anything... I shouldn't have. I wasn't making fun, little nightengale." He moved around to her front and gently wiped away her tears, "I didn't mean to upset you." He continued as he smiled at her, trying to get her to smile back, " You really could change if you wanted to. I saw it when I met you earlier to night. I thought you would be happy, shocked maybe, but I didn't think you would cry. I truly am sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." He sounded ashamed. Kokila didn't know what his face looked like as she was trying to avoid his smile. When he mentioned seeing it earlier, she looked up into his eyes, she saw hinesty and remorse in them.

"No, I'm the one who should apologise, what you said upset me but I shouldn't have bitten you head off like that. I'm usally very laid back, I suppose I'm a little stressed right now." She gave Tarak a weak smile that was strengthening by the minute, " You really saw an animal form inside of me?" she quiried, her sorrow was very quickly replaced with a look of eagerness, that amused him greatly.

Shardul gave a wry smile. "Yes, of coarse."

"What animal? I have never been close to any animal that I can remember."

"You can't guess?" he asked being mysterious.

Kokila gave him a fake pout and batted her eyes at him, "pleeease," she asked in a wheedling voice.

This made him chuckle, "Okay, I'll give you a hint," he said smiling wickedly, "it is a bird, a very famous bird."

"You can't just tell me?"

The boy shook his head, "tigers never come straight at a thing, we have to sneak up on it." He joked flashing her another smile.

A bird, she thought, a famous bird... as she thought she heard the beatiful voaice of her favorite jungle bird, the one who had taught her how to sing. That's it! She thought excitedly, "I'm a Nightengale!" she exclaimed.

(A/N) I hope you liked this chapter it is personally one of my favorites ( the next one is really good too!) I hpoe you all REVIEW! PLEASE! If you review I will love you FOREVER!!! PLEASE!!!

Kairi's Twin